'Bringing light into dark times': Why Jews see Hanukkah as significant amid growing antisemitism
Hanukkah may not be the holiest of Jewish holidays.
But at a time of ramped up antisemitic rhetoric and a rash of hate crimes, Jewish leaders say, it carries an important message, symbolized by the Hanukkah lights - a visible display of the triumph of faith over the forces of religious persecution.
The holiday, which starts at sundown tonight, celebrates the victory of the Jewish Maccabees over Syrian-Greek oppressors who had prevented them from practicing their faith more than 2,100 years ago. They reclaimed and rededicated the Holy Temple and, when they lit the menorah, oil expected to last one day miraculously lasted for eight.
"The story of Hanukkah is the story of the triumph of light over darkness," said Rabbi Yaakov Kotlarsky, rabbi and co-director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Arlington Heights.
Kotlarsky will be putting those words into actions Sunday during a public menorah lighting ceremony in Arlington Heights' North School Park.
That public display of faith is hardwired into the holiday.
"One of the mitzvot, one of the commandments of Hanukkah ... is to publicize the miracle of Hanukkah. Indeed, it is a time to take pride in our Jewish identity," said Rabbi Marc Rudolph, of Congregation Beth Shalom in Naperville.
And not only to publicize it, but to do so boldly.
"The story of Hanukkah is about fearlessness and faith and bringing light into dark times," said Lisa Bellows, rabbi of Congregation Beth Am in Buffalo Grove.
Statistics released last year by the Anti-Defamation League reveal that these are indeed dark times.
The ADL reported a record number of antisemitic incidents in the U.S., counting 2,717, including assault, harassment and vandalism - a 34% increase over the previous year and the highest number since the New York-based organization began following them in 1979.
Jewish institutions, including schools, community centers and synagogues, saw 525 antisemitic incidents in 2021, with 327 targeting synagogues. In addition, vandals desecrated Jewish cemeteries.
Recently, antisemitism has taken on a public face with comments by rapper Kanye West, who now goes by the moniker Ye.
Locally, a Waukegan cemetery was vandalized with swastikas and hateful comments. And in Naperville, a man was charged with committing a hate crime, accused of putting swastika stickers on a candidate's campaign signs during the recent election.
"Hate crime is very rare in the city," Naperville police Cmdr. Michaus Williams said.
Still, he said, "we do diligent patrols of our institutions with different faiths. We will continue to give that level of diligence throughout the holiday season."
Despite the rise in hate crimes, rabbis stress the U.S. still is friendly toward Jewish observance and has freedom of religion.
"We have the right to practice our religion, not just hidden in the basement of our homes, but proudly outside in the streets," Kotlarsky said.
Yet, Rudolph said he is concerned about the spread of hatred, especially on the internet, toward not only Jews but also other minorities.
"We need to be talking about it and calling it out and educating one another about it," he said.
On Jan. 4, Rudolph will be taking part in a program with Michael Hurst, a Black pastor of the New Horizon Christian Fellowship in Aurora. The duo will hold a dialogue about antisemitism, racism and talk about the "understandings and misunderstandings" between the Black and Jewish communities. The goal is to help both communities work together to combat antisemitism and racism and understand their effects, he said.
Understanding also involves learning about the history of antisemitism.
Leah Rauch, director of education at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie, said the museum encourages people to learn through its exhibitions and public programming about the history of the Holocaust and the antisemitism at the core of Nazi ideology.
Although the museum does not have Hanukkah events, its Zev & Shifra Karkomi Holocaust Exhibition - exploring prewar European life, the rise of Nazism, the Holocaust and the postwar experiences of survivors - incorporates holiday celebrations.
It shows one photo from 1932 Kiel, Germany, in which the camera peers through an apartment window with a view of the town hall across the street. A Nazi banner hangs in front of the building. On the window sill is a menorah belonging to Rabbi Akiva Posner, the rabbi of Kiel.
When looking at the horrific events that occurred during the Holocaust, she said, "it's so easy to feel kind of lost in that hopelessness, but that's certainly not the message that we want people to leave the museum with. We want people to leave feeling empowered, of being able to do something and make a difference and make the world a better place. That is really the core of what we're looking to do."
During Hanukkah, the Anti-Defamation League is promoting a campaign called Shine a Light, which uses the story of Hanukkah to champion the message of light over darkness and raises awareness of antisemitism through community partnerships and workforce engagement.
The campaign encourages people to share #ShineALight on antisemitism on social media and businesses to create inclusive workplaces by supporting a Jewish Employee Resource Group or integrating antisemitism education in diversity, equity and inclusion work.
"There are dozens of organizations who have signed on to this," ADL Regional Director David Goldenberg said. "And a lot of it was focused on speaking out against antisemitism, particularly in the corporate space.
"We're trying to show the corporate space that they have a responsibility to speak out when these incidents occur, but also create a safe space for Jewish employees."